The Ultimate Water Slide Quiz

It's a toss up between which is more fun: a roller coaster or a water slide. They both have breathtaking ascents and hair-raising descents. In fact, a water slide is essentially a roller coaster, just without the safety harness or train seat and with the addition of a little bit of the cold and wet stuff. Want to understand the mechanisms behind these thrilling rides? Take our quiz and get to know all the behind-the-scenes information.

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Question 1 of 20

How many water parks are there in America?

15

500

1000

According to the World Water park Association, there are more than 1,000 water parks in North America, which were visited by 78 million people in the year 2006.

Question 2 of 20

What force powers a water slide?

gravity

Water slides, just like roller coasters, are powered by gravity. It is gravity that pulls your body down the slide's descent.

water

a combination of air pressure and water

Question 3 of 20

What does the fact that potential energy increases as you climb the stairs of a water slide actually mean?

The speed at which you will descend increases.

The higher you climb, the further you have to come down.

The higher you climb, the greater the potential energy or energy of position. In layman's terms, this means the higher you climb, the further you have to come down.

The higher you climb in the atmosphere, the more energy particles there are in the air.

Question 4 of 20

What is kinetic energy?

energy of motion

Kinetic energy is energy of motion. Gravity converts the potential energy of your ascent of the slide to the kinetic energy of your descent.

the energy generated by the water lubricating the waterslide

the speed at which you descend the slide

Question 5 of 20

Which has more potential energy to work with?

a short slide

a tall slide

A tall slide has more potential energy, because as you climb higher, the potential energy increases or the further you have to come down.

a curvy slide

Question 6 of 20

How tall is the tallest free fall water slide?

50 feet (15 meters)

80 feet (24 meters)

120 feet (37 meters)

The tallest free fall water slide is the "Summit Plummet" at Walt Disney World's Blizzard Beach. It is 120 feet (37 meters) tall.

Question 7 of 20

Where is the tallest raft water slide located?

Florida

Los Angeles

Brazil

The tallest raft water slide is the "Insane", an 11-story high water slide in Brazil.

Question 8 of 20

What is the function of the water streaming down a water slide?

To make the slide more fun.

To prevent people from going into shock from the cold water of the swimming pool they land in.

To lubricate the slide.

The purpose of the water streaming down a water slide is to lubricate the slide, eliminating friction between the slide and your body.

Question 9 of 20

What is a water slide's relationship with gravity?

It works with gravity.

It works against gravity.

A slide works against gravity -- gravity pulls you downward and the slide pushes you upward, slowing down your acceleration. The ratio of upward and downward energy is dependant on the angle of the slide.

It works for gravity.

Question 10 of 20

On a slide, what is it that slows you down so that you don't shoot off into the crowd of people waiting in line to slide?

the plastic sides of the slide

the water

the exit flume and bumps and dips

On a speed slide, the exit flume -- the long, straight canal of water at the end of the slide -- slows you down gradually.

Question 11 of 20

On a speed and sled slide, how do you move forward?

in a straight line

On a speed or sled slide, you move forward in a straight line. On a serpentine, you move forward in all different directions, because of the curves.

at a downward angle

in a zig zag

Question 12 of 20

On a serpentine slide, what is the slide working against?

kinetic energy

gravity

gravity and inertia

On a serpentine slide, the slide works against gravity and your body's own inertia. Your body will naturally want to continue straight at a turn, so the slide has to curve, to force your body to change direction.

Question 13 of 20

What material is a water slide usually made out of?

fiberglass

A slide needs a smooth surface for you to glide along. Fiberglass provides this kind of surface.

plastic

aluminum

Question 14 of 20

How are fiberglass segments fitted together?

They are cemented together.

They are designed to click into each other; they don't need additional material.

They are fastened together with heavy duty bolts.

The individual segments are shaped with a raised lip on one end and a sunken step on the other end so that they fit together. Heavy duty bolts are then used to fasten the fiberglass segments to one and other.

Question 15 of 20

Why are the some sections of a water slide completely enclosed?

so that no-one will fly off the slide

The sharpest turns on a water slide are usually completely enclosed so that no-one will fly off the slide.

for added sun protection

to create a spooky atmosphere

Question 16 of 20

What are the fiberglass tubes of a water slide held up by?

concrete pillars

wooden blocks

steel girders

The fiberglass segments of a water slide are supported by a framework of steel girders. The segments often are not directly on top of the girders, but are attached to them by sturdy cantilevers.

Question 17 of 20

How do water parks get a stream of water up to the top of the water slide?

via a valve

via a pump

Water parks usually use a motorized pump to pump water from the pool at the base of the slide, up through pipes to the top of the slide.

via hoses and taps concealed at the top of each slide

Question 18 of 20

What type of valve is inside the water pipe?

solenoid valve

two way valve

one way valve

There is usually a one-way valve between the top of the pipe and the pump. This keeps the water inside the pipe when the slide is turned off, so that when the slide is turned on again, there is no need to wait for the pipes to fill -- the water starts to flow immediately.

Question 19 of 20

How do water parks keep the water slides sanitary?

They use extra strength chlorine in the water.

They change the water frequently.

They use a water filter.

Water parks filter the water several times a day through a sand and gravel filter. The sharp edges of the sand and gravel trap any dirt in the water.

Question 20 of 20

What is a water-coaster?

A water slide in which you sit on rafts.

A water slide that uses gravity to push you downward and water power to push you upward.

A water coaster is a type of water slide on which you travel in a complete circle, because the slide uses gravity to push you downward and water power to push you upward.